The Ravens are coming off a big win over Pittsburgh. It was the first win for Baltimore in 42 days. They had lost four straight but now are in first place in the AFC North. Cleveland is, well, Cleveland. The Browns are 0-9 and if there is a win on their schedule, it will be hard to find. Playing at M&T Bank Stadium, the Browns have won just once in the last eight tries… Baltimore 17, Cleveland 9.

Green Bay’s loss to Indianapolis last week has put the Packers in a precarious position. They are now in third place behind the Vikings and the 5-4 Lions. A win is needed as the Packers have lost three of their last four. Titans QB Marcus Mariota needs to quit giving opposing defenses touchdowns. He has accounted for five thus far this season. He may not do it Sunday, but the Packers need a win… Green Bay 33, Tennessee 27.

How the mighty have fallen. The Vikings were 5-0 and a favorite to win the NFC. Now, they are 5-3 and their season is falling apart. The Lions found a way to beat Minnesota in overtime last week and now they must face the Redskins coming off a bye. Washington QB Kirk Cousins may have found his mojo again as he leads the NFL’s third-best passing offense… Washington 24, Minnesota 14.

The Bears have Jay Cutler back and did beat the Vikings before their bye week. Tampa Bay got drilled by Atlanta last Thursday and the Bucs still haven’t figured out how to stop anyone. Tampa Bay has lost its last two games giving up 30 points and 513 yards passing to Oakland and 43 and 461 total yards to Atlanta. Don’t expect too much from either team, but the Bucs are playing at home where they are 0-4… Chicago 22, Tampa Bay 19.

Chiefs QB Alex Smith should be back to face Carolina on Sunday. Backup Nick Foles did another admirable job last week leading the Chiefs to a 19-14 win over Jacksonville. The Panthers are just 3-5 but have won their last two straight and hope to continue turning around their season. They might want to protect QB Cam Newton who was sacked five times in last week’s win over the Rams. If they can do so, look for a third straight win… Carolina 27, Kansas City 20.

The Eagles looked like one of the teams to beat early in the season, but Philadelphia has lost four of its last five games and its season now hangs in the balance. Facing the 6-3 Falcons at home on Sunday will make or break the Eagles. Philadelphia has not lost at home yet, but Atlanta does play well on the road (4-1). The Eagles defense will have to slow down Falcons QB Matt Ryan and WR Julio Jones. Too tough a task… Atlanta 37, Philadelphia 28.

The Rams were 3-1 after four games. Now, they are 3-5. Los Angeles hasn’t won in a month and now travels to the east coast to face the Jets, who are equally as bad. The Jets lost to the surging Dolphins last week and are still an offense with many question marks. The Rams need to figure out how to get RB Todd Gurley more involved in the offense. Gurley’s production is down from a year ago and now so is his carries… NY Jets 17, Los Angeles 13.

If the Saints could be a bit more consistent, they might be on to something. New Orleans won for the fourth time in its last five games when they beat San Francisco 41-23 last week. QB Drew Brees was 38-for-39 for 323 yards and three touchdowns and RB Mark Ingram ran for 158 yards and a score. The Saints will face a very good defense this week, but Denver got burnt by Oakland’s running game a week ago. Hard to picture Denver losing two in a row, but they did earlier this year… New Orleans 34, Denver 27.

The Texans had a bye week to prepare for a stretch of games that will ultimately decide whether or not they win the AFC South. Houston has yet to win on the road this season and faces four of its next five games away from NRG Stadium. Up first is division foe Jacksonville which will probably see its head coach fired by season’s end. The Jags just aren’t very good… Houston 20, Jacksonville 13.

If there is a surprise team in the second half of the 2016 NFL season, it is the Miami Dolphins. After a 1-4 start, new head coach Adam Gase is finally getting some production from his offense specifically RB Jay Ajayi who now has three consecutive 100-yard games. San Diego has also been hot as of late winning three of its last four. The Chargers are also 3-1 at home… San Diego 34, Miami 31.

The Steelers have now lost three in a row and have yielded supremacy of the AFC North to Baltimore. A win over Dallas would make a huge statement and help to put them back in the driver’s seat in the division. The Cowboys (7-1) are just rolling. Rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott are everything that the organization thought they would be and more. Playing in Pittsburgh will be tough. An upset lurks… Pittsburgh 24, Dallas 21.

The 49ers have lost seven straight games after winning their season opener. They are 31st in passing offense and Colin Kaepernick, now the starter at quarterback, hasn’t made much of a difference. The 49ers defense is also last in the league in scoring defense giving up 32.5 points per game. San Francisco has given up at least 33 points in each of its last four games. They might do it again against an offense that features RB David Johnson, WR Larry Fitzgerald, and QB Carson Palmer… Arizona 33, San Francisco 20.

It’s a Sunday night clash in Foxborough as New England, 7-1 and fresh off a bye, takes on the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks will undoubtedly be looking to slow down the Tom Brady-led Patriots offense but may have to do so without safety Kam Chancellor and CB DeAndre Elliott. Seattle RB Thomas Rawls may also be out for Sunday night’s game. The Patriots are 4-0 since the return of Brady and are averaging 34 points per game. Don’t forget – the game is in Foxborough… New England 34, Seattle 17.

The Giants are 5-3 after holding on to beat Philadelphia last week. New York is now in second place in the NFC East behind Dallas. The Bengals are still in the thick of things in the AFC North after Pittsburgh’s loss to Baltimore. Both teams could use a win. The Giants are 3-1 at home and the Bengals do not play well away from home. Advantage Giants… NY Giants 27, Cincinnati 21.

Buffalo @ NY Jets
The winner of this game will have a leg up on the competition for a wild card in the AFC. The loser will continue to fight an uphill battle. The Bills do have QB Tyrod Taylor back and WR Sammy Watkins was magnificent in last week’s win over Miami. The Jets are 3-1 at home and are playing great defense. That should be enough for a win… NY Jets 24, Buffalo 17.

Detroit @ Green Bay
The Lions are, well, just terrible. They fired their GM and team president last week. That plus coming off a bye may give them some renewed energy. Too bad they have to play in Green Bay, a place where Detroit hasn’t won in a long time. The Packers have lost two in a row to two of the league’s best. Don’t expect three… Green Bay 38, Detroit 10.

New England @ NY Giants
It’s the perfect setting for an upset. The Patriots on the road against a pretty explosive Giants offense. QB Eli Manning and WR Odell Beckham Jr make up one of the top passing tandems in the league. So does Tom Brady and TE Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots will find a win and remain unbeaten… New England 44, NY Giants 37.

Arizona @ Seattle
The Seahawks are primed for the second half of the season. The defense is back giving up just 15 points in its last two games. At 4-4, Seattle needs to have a great second half to make the playoffs. It begins with an upset of NFC West leading Arizona. It’s tough to win at CenturyLink Field… Seattle 20, Arizona 17.

Kansas City @ Denver
The Broncos proved they were human last week falling to Indianapolis, their first loss of the season. Denver’s offense is not the highlight reel that it has been the past few seasons, but the defense is solid. The Broncos defense leads the NFL in total defense and points against (17). The Chiefs have won two in a row after five straight losses. They will make a valiant attempt… Denver 34, Kansas City 21.

Dallas @ Tampa Bay
The Cowboys have lost six straight since losing QB Tony Romo to a broken collarbone. Romo’s return is not scheduled until near the end of November, so it will be up to Matt Cassell once again. The Bucs are young but have come up with some wins including a big one over Atlanta. Traveling to Tampa could be tough on the Cowboys… Tampa Bay 23, Dallas 20.

Carolina @ Tennessee
Could they be the Super Bowl favorite? The Panthers are 8-0 and recorded another impressive win last week over Green Bay. The Titans are headed in the opposite direction. At 2-6, they are looking at another top five draft pick… Carolina 33, Tennessee 14.

Chicago @ St. Louis
The Rams lost a close one to Minnesota in overtime last week. RB Todd Gurley is fourth in the league in rushing and the Rams defense is improved. Add in that St. Louis is 3-1 at home and the Bears are in trouble… St. Louis 23, Chicago 10.

New Orleans @ Washington
The Saints are hard to figure out. They beat Atlanta, AFC South leader Indianapolis, and the New York Giants in successive weeks. Then, they find a way to lose to Tennessee. Which team shows up against the Redskins? If the Redskins can catch the football Sunday, they may grab their fourth win… Washington 27, New Orleans 24.

Cleveland @ Pittsburgh
A classic AFC North battle. It may be without Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger who injured his left foot in last week’s win over Oakland. Pittsburgh is clearly better but without RB Le’Veon Bell (out for the year) and Roethlisberger, this one will be tough. Still, it’s in Pittsburgh where the Browns do not fare so well… Pittsburgh 17, Cleveland 3.

Minnesota @ Oakland
The surprise team of the NFL may very well be the Vikings who are now tied with Green Bay for the NFC North lead. The Raiders are young and still have a shot at the postseason with a 4-4 record at the midpoint of the season. The last time Minnesota traveled to the West Coast, it didn’t turn out so well. Raiders get the upset… Oakland 31, Minnesota 23.

Miami @ Philadelphia
The Eagles may be making a move. A huge win over Dallas last week has Chip Kelly’s team at 4-4 and just half a game behind NFC East division-leading New York. Miami has lost some of the energy it had when interim coach Dan Campbell took over and has lost two in a row. Make it three. The Eagles are 2-1 at home… Philadelphia 35, Miami 28.

As betting on sports becomes more popular all over the globe, it can attract some negative attention from the sports franchises and teams that are being bet upon.

With millions of dollars riding on each game, some unscrupulous sports teams or players attempt to fix the outcome. Most of us have seen the scandals highlighted in the newspaper or on TV. Despite these occasional trouble spots, sports betting remains a popular pastime for many fans.